Minion

Minions are expendable allied units that spawn automatically to charge into battle with the purpose of attacking enemy units in the lanes they are assigned.

The blue and red team minions start spawning at 1:30 and every 30 seconds afterward from the Nexus in order to support the champions. Every 90 seconds (4th wave) the minion waves will grow stronger, with every type of minion gaining different stats. Minions deal 50% increased damage to Turrets and deal about 40% reduced damage to enemy champions. An enemy turret's armor is reduced when minions are near.

Note: Minions should not be confused with monsters, which are neutral unless attacked and reside in the jungle.

Contents

Types

There are four types of minions currently in the game: Melee, Caster, Siege, and Super.

All Minions

All minions have a Movement speed of 325. They always Spawn in 30 second intervals starting at 1 minute 30 second. All follow the same Behavior Set and walk in a line until they encounter a target. Spawn order is: Super Minions (if active), 3 Melee Minions, Siege Minions (intermittently, change to Super Minions if that lanes opposing inhibitor is destroyed), 3 Caster Minions.

Each type can be buffed. Detailed Buffs are noted below, but general buffs are listed within each sub-section.
The Banner of Command grants the following to any minion promoted:

A permanent Black Shield which grants total immunity to magic damage.

Tower Shield (reduced turret damage).

All gold gained by the minion goes to the champion who promoted it.

The Hand of Baron grants the following to all minions near a champion with the Hand of Baron aura buff:

Non-super minions have 75% damage reduction versus area of effect, damage over time, and persistent effects

Melee Minion

Melee Minion

Gold

19.8 (+0.2 / 90 sec)

Exp

59

HP

455 +15 at 3 mins, +15.3 at 4.5 mins, +15.6 at 6 mins,...

Armor

?

MagicResistance

?

Damage

12 (+0.5 / 90 sec)

Range

100?

AttackSpeed

1.250

The Melee minion is controlled by a simple Artificial Intelligence, and uses melee attacks against their enemies. Three melee minions spawn with each minion wave.

Banner of Command

Damage: +50;

Bonus attack speed +90%;

Health: +600;

Armor: +40;

Magic resist: +40;

increased size.

Hand of Baron

Gain +50% movement speed when within 800 units of enemy minions or turrets

Increased size

+75 attack range

+75% damage reduction versus champions and minions

+30% damage reduction versus turrets (similar to cannon minions)

Caster Minion

Caster Minion

Gold

16.8 (+0.2 / 90 sec)

Exp

29

HP

290 +11 at 3 mins, +11.2 at 4.5 mins, +11.4 at 6 mins,...

Armor

?

MagicResistance

?

Damage

23 (+1 / 90 sec)

Range

600

AttackSpeed

0.670

The Caster minion is controlled by Artificial Intelligence, and uses a ranged bolt of magic against their enemies. There are 3 caster minions in each minion wave. The two teams, blue and red, each have respectively colored caster minions.

Banner of Command

Damage: +75;

Bonus attack speed +30%;

Health: +400;

Armor: +40;

Magic resist: +40;

increased size.

Hand of Baron

+20 attack damage

+50% missile speed

+100 attack range

Siege Minion

Siege Minion

Gold

40 (+0.5 / 90 sec)

Exp

92

HP

805 +23 at 3 mins, +23.3 at 4.5 mins, +23.6 at 6 mins,...

Armor

?

MagicResistance

?

Damage

39.5 (+1.5 / 90 sec)

Range

450

AttackSpeed

1.000

One Siege minion spawns in every third wave, in each lane. It attacks enemies from a range of 450 with cannonballs. They receive 30% less damage from turrets. Siege minions have more health and deal more damage than the regular wave minions. Cannon minions start spawning every two waves at 20 minutes, and start spawning every wave at 35 minutes.

Banner of Command

Damage: +100

Health + 600

Armor: +100

Magic resist:+100

increased size

Hand of Baron

+600 attack range

+50 attack damage

attack speed is halved

Attacks are now Area of Effect (200 range)

deal double damage to turrets

Super Mech Minion

Super Minion

Gold

40 (+1 / 3 min)

Exp

97

HP

1500 (+200 / 3 min)

Armor

30

MagicResistance

-30

Damage

180 (+10 / 3 min)

Range

100

AttackSpeed

0.694

A Super minion is spawned in each wave to a lane in which the enemy inhibitor is destroyed. They will continue spawning until the inhibitor respawns (four minutes/8 waves). It replaces the wave's siege minion and, similarly to it, it takes 30% less damage from turrets. They deal more damage and have more health than any other minion, but have armor and negative magic resistance.

Gain +50% movement speed when within 800 units of enemy minion or turret

AI Behavior

Minions and turrets will only deviate from their standard behavior to come to the aid of an ally under duress. Whenever any unit is under attack, it generates a ‘call for help’. Minions and turrets have slightly different reactions to a call for help.

Under normal circumstances, a minion’s behavior is simple. Minions follow their attack route until they reach an enemy to engage. Every few seconds, they will scan the area around them for the highest priority target. When a minion receives a call for help from an ally, it will evaluate its current target in relation to the target designated by the call. It will switch its attack to the new target if and only if the new target is of a higher priority than their current target. Minions prioritize targets in the following order:

An enemy champion designated by a call for help from an allied champion. (Enemy champion attacking an Allied champion)

An enemy minion designated by a call for help from an allied champion. (Enemy minion attacking an Allied champion)

An enemy minion designated by a call for help from an allied minion. (Enemy minion attacking an Allied minion)

An enemy turret designated by a call for help from an allied minion. (Enemy turret attacking an Allied minion)

An enemy champion designated by a call for help from an allied minion. (Enemy champion attacking an Allied minion)

The closest enemy minion.

The closest enemy champion.

Minions will only reevaluate their target every few seconds. This means that if a champion initiates an attack against an enemy champion, the attacking champion will continue to be viewed as the most threatening target for a short time after they have broken off the attack. This is true even if one of their allied champions has joined the fight, since minions always prioritize their current target over a new target of equal priority. If a targeted champion leaves the minions' sight, the minions will automatically reevaluate their target and will carry on walking or attacking something else. Because they are continuously reevaluating their target, minions will lose interest in an enemy champion if that champion breaks off an engagement with them, provided that there is any other target left for them to choose within range.

Creep Score

Gold is granted to the champion that deals the killing shot on any minion or monster. This is known as a "Last Hit" and is considered one of the most important skills in League of Legends. Last Hitting will increase a champions "Creep Score" (CS) noted at the far right of champion stats in the tab stats, or top right corner for the player's champion. CS includes kills of Jungle Monsters and Champion Pets. In the early and mid game, CS can be used as a gauge for comparing how well a player is doing against their respective lane opponent along with KDA. Many champions will use their Autoattack (AA) to Last Hit, but several champions, especially AP champs, also have low cost, low cooldown target or area burst spells to last hit. Melee minions can take two tower hits and be easy to AA for most ad champions. Caster minions are best to hit once before taking a single tower hit, then hit again for the Last Hit.

Spellthief's Edge: UNIQUE - TRIBUTE: Your next damaging ability or autoattack against a champion or structure will deal 10 additional damage and grant 5 gold. You generate one charge of Tribute every 10 seconds, storing up to 3. Killing a minion disables this passive for 12 seconds.

Please help this article by adding champion abilities that buff or heal minions.

Lore

Minions are constructs of the League, used specifically for battle arenas. They aren't sentient. In the earliest days of the League – during their extensive testing phase – there was a rumor that they were using sentient beings as minions. They even supposedly used necromancy to summon skeletal minions to fight as the minions of today do. Such rumors are generally thought to be unsubstantiated.

Other Terminology

The following are other terms used in league to quickly explain a situation or method involving minions.

Lane Momentum: The direction and strength a lane's minions are working toward without champion aid.

Pushing: Attacking the minions before Last Hitting so as to keep allied minions alive and allow them to move closer to the enemy turret.

Freezing: Stopping the enemy minions from pushing the lane any further without pushing back.

Monster Wave: A wave that builds up to a very large number of minions and can take out most if not all of a turret without champion aid.

Free Farming: When a champion is left unopposed in a lane to kill minions for the purpose of gaining gold and experience.

Proxy Farming: When a champion goes behind an enemy tower to kill enemy minions without the aid of allied minions.

Split Pushing: Pushing a lane's minions forward for the purpose of taking out a tower while the enemy team is else where on the map.

Notes

If the champions do not interfere in the battle, one team of minions will eventually win the game. Which team will win is completely random, depending on which team focuses the enemy minions better.

When minions scan for a target, it is possible for a champion to pick up aggro multiple times from a minion. Minions can constantly pick up aggro from you and can follow you through the jungle.